Oil filter



1m31, 1939. R D. HILL 2,145,304

OIL FILTER Filed July 6, 1937 lljllllll BYY y ATTORNEYS.

patente dan.. 3, 1939 @IL PETER nele n. Hin, Les Angeles, ceiir.,assigner er imeheif te Guy s. Tucker, Les Angeles, cani.

Application `Willy 6, 1937, Serial No. 152,123

3 Claims.

. This invention relates to iiltersand particularly to filters used forfiltering oil such as those employed for filtering the oil in internalcombustion engine lubricating systems.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved oil iilter in theform of a container containing a filtering medium wherein the cover orone wall of the container forms a tting adapted to be permanentlyinstalled or inserted in an oil conduit, the container being detachablyconnected thereto so as to permit its removal and replacement of thefiltering medium from time to time without disturbing the connectionswith the oil conduit.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved lter whereinthe filtering medium is so arranged as to have a maximum eiciency. Initers the maximum filtering or extraction of solids and semi-solids fromthe liquid usually takes place at the surface or at the point where'theliquid first enters the filtering medium. The improved iilter has theiiltering medium so arranged as to present a large external surfacewhere the oil rst enters the filtering medium and on which the maximumextraction of solids and semi-solids takes place. After passing throughthis surface where the major extraction takes place, the requirement foradditional ltering medium continually decreases and the improved lterhas its :filtering medium so arranged that, the volume of ltering mediumthrough which the liquid is caused to pass after penetrating the largeexternal surface continually decreases and in this way, with a givenvolume of iiltering medium, a

' maximum efdciency is possible.

A further object of the invention is to .provide an improved filter fornltering oil or like substances having a visible indicator indicatingwhether or not the filter has become clogged to such an extent thatliquid cannot readily pass therethrough and also indicating the natureand condition of the oil or other liquid that has been iltered.

Another object of the invention is to provide a iilter wherein provisionis made for the extraction of the water content from the system. In theoil generally used for crankcase lubrication in automobiles there isusually present a small percentage o water emulsied with the oil. Whenthis oil heated to the crankcase temperature is passed through a iilterand is subsequently returned to a cranlrcase, there is a tendency forthe emulsified water content to separate and to be returned to thecrankcase as separated or free water mixed with the oil. This separatedwater is apt to bring (iCl. 2ND-112) about dangerous consequences andthe present iilter provides a means whereby an opportunity is aiordedfor the water to separate and to be collected and to be thus retainedout of the lubrication system.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, which will be mademanifest in the following detailed description and specifically pointedout in the appended claims, reference is had to the accompanying drawingfor an illustrative embodiment of the invention, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through the preferred form of iilterembodying the present invention; and

Iliig.V 2 is a section of the upper part of the iilter of a type usedwith a remote indicator.

Fig. 3 is an elevation with parts broken away of an indicator of thefilter which may be used with the lter connection of Fig. 2 and ifdesired, remote from the filter.

Referring to the accompanying drawing wherein similar referencecharacters designate similar parts throughout, it designates a sectionof tubing that conveys oil from the crankcase of an internal combustionengine such as that of an automobile. The oil is delivered therethroughfrom the oil pump to the niter. oil is returned to the cranlrcasethrough a similar conduit il.

The filter comprisesa container i2 having cylindrical walls in thepreferred form and a conical bottom i3. It is provided with a cover itthat constitutes a itting adapted to be permanently installed orinserted in the oil conduit formed by sections of tubing l@ and Ell. Thecover lil has an inlet l5 through which the oil is delivered and in thepreferred form of construction a check valve it is installed in thisinlet or otherwise located in tubing Hl so as to prevent reverse nowthrough the tubing. Centrally of the cover lli there is a drilled andtapped hole ill into which is screwed the top of a tube id which extendsupwardly through the bottom lil of the container and which is providedwith a handle i9. This tube serves to convey incoming oil to a pointadjacent the bottom of the container where it dis-i charges throughsmall apertures 2@ inside of a spaced sleeve or bushing 2l having one ormore apertures 22. The spaced sleeve or bushing 2l serves to support thebottom of the filtering mefifter being iiltered the y dium generallyindicated at 23 which may be of :fibrous material or any preferred'Eltern Sheet metal caps or plates fit over the top and bottom of thenltering medium as indicated at 2t and t5,

titi

respectively. Lower cap is supported on a gasket 26 which rests on topof the sleeve 2|.

'I'he filtering medium is cylindrical in form having a central aperturetherethrough, the walls of which are spaced from the external surface ofthe tube I8 as indicated at 21. The peripheral or cylindrical surface ofthe filtering medium is also spaced from the walls of the container asindicated at 28. The bottom cap 25 and gasket 26 constitute a means forpreventing ingress of oil to space 21 except through the filteringmedium from a peripheral surface. The upper cap 24 resting on top ofthe' filtering medium has a cenn tral aperture therethrough as indicatedat 29 which provides for egress of ltered oil from space 21 which isenlarged at the top as indicated at 30 to an outlet 3|. A gasket 32 ispositioned against the bottom of cap or cover I4 and is engaged by theupper rim of the container I2 and by the upper cap 24. The lter mediumis normally of such a height that when it is resting on gasket 26 itprojects slightly above the rim of the container so that when the partsare assembled and tube 28 is rotated by handle I9 in screwing it intohole I1 the filter medium will be compressed slightly and the gasket 32will not only be engaged by the rim of the container but will be rmlyengaged by the upper cap 24. The two caps 24 and 25, perform theadditional function of tending to hold the filter medium 23concentrically within the container and around tube I8 when thestructure is assembled.

. glass cup there is disposed a threaded member 39 on which is a conicalhead 40. On the top of the cup there is disposed a layer 4I of fibrousmaterial. The filtered oil issuing through outlet 3| passes up throughnipple 39 and spreads out on the conical head 40 and on drippingtherefrom is collected and drains through an outlet 42 leadingto tubeII.

The operation and advantages of the improved lter are as follows: Theoil to be ltered enters through tube I0 past check valve I 6, and isconveyed to a point adjacent the bottom of the container beneath thelter medium. Such solids or semi-solids as tend to settle out by gravitymay settle in the container beneath the filter medium. The velocity ofthe oil on issuing through ports 20 and 22 is materially reduced.

.It then may pass up through space 28 and enter the lter medium throughits peripheral -surface. As this surface is relatively large for thevolume of lter medium employed it affords a large area on which themajor portion of the solids or semi-solids may collect. 'I'he oil, as itis thus iltered or cleaned, percolates through the brous material and isre-collected in space 21 where it passes up through the cover to theindicator. The oil spreading on the conical member 40 and drippingtherefrom is visible through the glass walls of cap 34 so that it can beascertained at all times whether the filter is functioning properly. Thecondition of the filtered oil can also be readily ascertained.

As the oil is delivered to the lter at crankcase temperature and usuallycontains a small amount of water in emulsification the oil on beingdelivered through the relatively cool chamber formed by cap 34 tends tohave the water separate out. The water vaporizes at this point and tendsto settle as a fog on the top of cap 34. The function of the fibrousmaterial 4I lis to collect and absorb this condensed water vapor andprevent its being returned with the oil to the crankcase. head orspreader 40 collects and flows through the outlet 42 into tube II to bereturned to the crankcase.

The conical head or spreader 40 has its top surface positioned asufficient distance below the fibrous material pad 4I so that the oil inspreading laterally from the tube 39 over the top surface of thespreader does not come in direct contact with the absorbent pad.Although the oil is fed or supplied through the tube I0 under pressurein order to force this'oil through the lter, nevertheless the outletfrom the inverted cup 34 to the oil tube II is of suflicient size andthe flow is to the crankcase of the engine, hence there is practicallyno back pressure causing the cup 34 to fill with oil. Therefore this cupmerely has a dripping shower of oil and Where water vapor is present inthe oil, this vapor condenses in the form of a fog or visible dropletsin the cup, this vapor being warm rises in the cup and is absorbed inthe pad 4I. When the pad absorbs practically all of the water it cancontain, small droplets will be noted running down the sides of the cup34 in which case the cup should be removed and a dry pad substituted forthe saturated pad 4|. The moist pad after drying may then be retained tobe again replaced. It is essential in this type of absorption of watervapor that the oil does not contact the pad 4I as it would have aneffect of sealing the outside pores and preventing proper absorption ofthe water vapor.

The function of check valve I 6 is to prevent any reverse flow throughthe inlet I0. Some considerable pressure is built up in the filterduring operation and if it were not for the presence of the check valvethere might be a tendency for this pressure to bring about a reverseflow when the engine is stopped. The check valve prevents this -reverseflow and any possibility of collected or separated solid material beingforced back into the vcrankcase through inlet II).

It is not necessary to have the indicator for the filter mounted on thecover I4 as shown on Fig. 1. If desired, this indicator may be disposedremote therefrom as indicated by Figs. 2 and 3. In such event the outlet3| is connected by means of tube 44 to a base 45 which may be remotelylocated such as for example, on the dashboard of the vehicle. Thistubing may lead to an inlet 46 controlled by needle valve 41. On thebase there is mounted a glass cap 48 corresponding to cap 34 which issecured in place as by bail 49 and attendant construction. The capencloses an upstanding nipple provided with a conical head or spreader40 and a layer of fibrous material as shown at 4I.

The operation of the indicator shown in Fig. 2 is the same as thatpreviously described, conveying the oil ultimately to tubing 50 whichmay return it to the crankcase.

From time to time the filtering medium 23 must be replaced. This can beeasily accom.

diuin to be removed and replaced and the bot' tom of the container to becleaned out. Also.

The oil dripping from the conical occasion may require from time to timethe reaisance :it

moval of cap it and the replacement of the water absorbing fibrous layerindicated at nii.

From the above-described construction it will be appreciated that theimproved lter is of relatively simple and durable design enabling easyand quick replacements of the filter medium without disturbing in anyWay connections with the oil conduit. The design of the iilter is suchas to afford a relatively large area that the oil must initiallypenetrate and as all oil must pass through a thickness of filter mediumapproximately equal to the radius of the filter there is lessopportunity for channeling to take place. Not only is provision made forascertaining at all times whether the filter is operating properly butan opportunity is also aiorded for inspecting at all times the natureand condition of the filtered oil.

When it is desired to use the iilter indicator remote from the filterfor instance for maintaining this in a position readily visible to thedriver of an automobile or the operator of an engine, the upper portionof the iilter is modified as shown in Fig. 2. This employs a cover I4which omits the mounting for the visible filter. The inlet I5 from thetube lil 'employs a check valve i6 similar to thatlof Fig. 1. The lteredoil is led directly by the outlet 3i to the tube M which leads to thefilter assembly shown in Fig. 3. This may be constructed substantiallyas described above.

Various changes may be made in the details of construction withoutdeparting from the spirit or scope of the invention as defined by theappended claims.

I claim: 1

l. An oil iilter comprising` in combination an upper cover having inletand outlet means for oil, a tube connected to the inlet and extendingdownwardly below the cover, a container having a bottom, a connectingmeans between the tube and the said bottom to attach the container tothe cover, there being a sealing means between the cover and thecontainer, a cylindrical porous lter medium having an impervious bottomcap, means to support said filter and means forming an oil seal betweenthe cover and the upper surface of the filter medium, said lter mediumhaving a central axial openingy from end to end with a communication tothe oil outlet in the cover, an oil now means for directing oil flowingdownwardly through the said tube to a position between the bottom of thecontainer and the impervious bottom cap, there being an annular spacebetween the periphery of the lter medium and the wall of the container,the oil being adapted to `fiow radially from the said latter space tothe central opening and thence to the outlet, the cover having atransparent inverted cup mounted thereon, the oil outlet including avertical oil flow tube with a spreader forming a frustum of a coneextending upwardly into the cup, a layer of fibrous water absorbentmaterial positioned at the top of the inverted cup above the spreaderwhereby the oil and water vapor is discharged between the spreader andthe said fibrous layer. l

2. An oil iilter comprising in combination a cover having an inlet andan outlet means for oil, a tube extending vdownwardly from the coverconnecting to the inlet and having a detachable connection to the cover,a container having a bottoni, the tube extending through the bottom, aperforated sleeve surrounding the lower portion of the tube, there beingperforations in the tube communicating with the space between the tubeandthe said sleeve, a handle structure on the tube to engage the saidbottom and thereby attach the container to the cover, a cylindricalfibrous iilter unit having a central opening concentric with the tubebut spaced therefrom, means forming a liquid tight seal between thesleeve and the lower end of the lter unit and the said tube, there beinga space at the upper end of the filter unit communicating with the oiloutlet and means forming an oil seal between the upper surface of theunit and the cover outside of the said latter space, the periphery ofthe unit being spaced from the walls of the container and there being asediment Space between the bottom of the unit and the bottom of thecontainer, the oil being adapted to iiow downwardly through the saidtube into the sediment space and from the space surrounding theperiphery of the unit radially through the unit to the central openingand thence'to the outlet.

3. In a device as described, a supporting structure having an inlet and4an outlet for oil, an inverted cup structure mounted thereon, avertical oil tube connected to the inlet and extending upwardly in theinverted cup structure and provided at the top with the frustum of acone,

the top ofthe cup having a layer of absorbent material above the apex ofthe frustum of the cone whereby oil discharges over the top of thefrustum and the water vapor collects in the upper part of the invertedcup being absorbed in the absorbent material, the outlet for oil havinga. connection to the inverted cup of' sufficient size to preventaccumulation of oil in the inverted cup.

ROLO D. HILL.

